United Nations (UN) General Assembly President Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, a Nigerian diplomat and political scientist, in this virtual interview from New York, United States (U.S.) with ASSISTANT EDITOR BOLA OLAJUWON, says the global body, member-states and World Health Organisation (WHO) are razor-sharp focused for solutions that fit all without leaving anyone behind despite the controversies surrounding the origin and transmission of the virus. Excerpts:
Finding common solutions to the pandemic
I think the point to be emphasised is this; we have some doubts and furies expressed around the origin of the pandemic, but our goal as a global polity is to focus on finding welcome solutions that affect all. For the record, regardless of the disputes around certain questions relating to origin or efficacy of the World Health Organisation (WHO), there have been remarkable efforts around the world multilaterally, in the regions and beyond regions, within the pandemic.
Obviously, funding for projections and for urgency has been provided. But first of all, the global call to actions of United Nations expressed by the secretary-general has been clear; funds have been put into it to support countries, including our own country Nigeria, that desired some supports. Some support is technical and some support is financial. There is such a thing as sharing of ideas, which is going on almost every day. The WHO has continued to issue guidelines to all countries, and there is not a single country in the world that is not listening to the WHO, even where there are disputes concerning whether it has acted fast enough to provide information.
The explanation of the WHO director-general has been very clear as to what information they are giving out in a timely manner. But, that is not our focus now. Our focus is not to do a post-mortem of why we are battling to solve the problem and have some kind of normalcy. Back to the question, regardless of disputes that are normal in a world of close to 200 nations, where sensitivities and understandings differ, we can say that the global polity is still acting as one, though we could have acted a bit faster. This is where I stand and this is my view.
Coordinating UN activities from home
The United Nations headquarters have been a beehive of activities in New York, Geneva, Nairobi and beyond. The issue is that offices are closed on the advice of health authorities. Of course, the United Nations follows what WHO says. But work is going on to the extent possible, and my officials are coming to meeting virtually. When we have meetings in regions and certain offices, we arrange to help them virtually, including consultations on specific issues.
However, certain negotiations are tough to conduct virtually, for example, in our situations, where formal negotiations are necessary, and languages issue in terms of translations is a bit challenging. We hold meetings in UN simultaneous in six languages. But in some informal meetings that we have called, we can agree to conduct them in one language. We do have meetings, but some of the activities that necessarily required in-house meetings that can be shifted, have been shifted.
But certain decisions that must be taken, we talk to ourselves to see whether we can have consensus to reach them. So, work is going on, but not like the case before. Because if you are going to have negotiations involving countries or officials have to come from different headquarters around the world, this cannot happen under lockdown because social distancing required as par advice of WHO cannot be achieved. Also, many restaurants and hotels and businesses have closed down. So, these are the issues. But for now, what can happen have been happening. We have meetings with the secretary-general and other relevant organs to coordinate our activities. Focus is not only in the headquarters; the UN is everywhere.
So in Nigeria, there is an arrangement by a coordinate who coordinate activities of the UN. The coordinator is connected with Nigerian authorities in relations with all the issues that ordinarily the Nigerian authorities connect to the UN. The headquarters officials with a responsibility to connect with relevant coordinators are also doing the same to see where we need to come in and what issues are urgent for the headquarters’ attention.
Protecting poor and vulnerable countries
No organisation is razor-sharp focused like the UN and in bringing everybody on board. The motto of the UN has lately been the battle cry of not leaving anyone behind. This battle cry presupposes a concern to reduce inequalities between countries and within countries to allow for the development of human beings. You can recall the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agreed to by the UN member-states in 2015 as targets, which are to be met by 2030.
We have the challenges even before the Coronavirus pandemic as to how many countries are not on target to achieve the goals. Several factors are involved, including financing. There have been several reviews on how to support countries in needs and countries in special circumstances, including developing countries, landlocked developing states and those vulnerable because of conflicts. On each of these elements, there are dedicated officials of the UN, who are daily dealing with those issues and are being coordinated by officials at the UN headquarters. Where regulations are needed, the assembly also comes in.
So, in terms of this, the resolutions passed during the pandemic may come on board to focus on the necessity to help countries in the course of the pandemic and in the immediate as a health issue. But connected to that is the obvious fact and reality of the fallout of social and economic factors around the globe, particularly in countries that are heavily impacted. In the case of the lockdown relating to travel, just remember there are many countries, whose major revenue is through tourism and without tourism, they are really in difficulty.
Look at countries that are dependent on the importation of food and if there is a lockdown, transportation and logistics are affected. This can lead to dire situations for them. All these are issues that are discussed not only by the UN but other bodies that help to civilise the system, including the World Bank, African Union (AU), the European Union (EU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). All these bodies are also having meetings. Nobody is simply sitting. There are a lot of activities that are going on to help to solve the common danger and to think through what will happen after. We as a community is well-positioned to do so, understanding that if any country is having a problem with the pandemic, other countries are not safe as well.
Assessment of the UN at 75
Well, let me just take it at what I can see in the next 10 years. The UN has since its establishment 75 years ago meant what the founders want it to be like today in terms of a place to ensure that we have a world that is safe, that can allow for human development and people can live at peace. And since 1945, the body has seen to the development of norms for human beings as human beings in terms of their rights and duties and responsibilities as well as the interaction of states where everyone counts – big or small. If you imagine a world without the UN, I can see that it is a world with anarchy.
The UN has been a force for good. Look at its contributions in relations to ending of apartheid. Look at its development of issues relating to the vulnerable; look at its contributions to peace-keeping. If you have not seen how people struggle under the ghosts of various oppressors around the world, you will not appreciate why peace-keeping is key and it becomes all of the emblems of the United Nations. Many people from afar also care over situations of those people that are really in dare situations.
However, there have been failures in the system. Rwanda is one and there could be several others that have been mentioned. But in each case thereafter, the UN has because of these mistakes done proper reviews in the affected areas and organisations and some reviews are also ongoing. Some have succeeded far more than others and others are continuing. It is the commitment of the UN as a system to constantly review its work to guarantee delivery of its duties to the people of the world. I think the pandemic that we are currently battling against only reminds us of the critical importance of the UN and its institutions to guarantee some order. The UN has been striving even against all odds. Going forward, we are more likely to be more sensitive to the need of our neighbours, than previously done. This is really the focus of the UN to move peace and prosperity around the globe.
Challenges as President of General Assembly
Let me say that nobody comes to this type of position deluded that it was going to be easy; far from it. I am a Nigerian, who knows what the public needs are on a daily basis; many of these issues are issues that make sense at this global level, I was also very fortunate that in the undertakings to take on these challenges, I got one hundred per cent support from the President of the republic and his lieutenants and till these days, there was nothing that we required to get the job done, that hasn’t been done. That is why I am always conscious that we must give an account of ourselves personally and as a nation. It is also a privilege and every day, I remember I complete this work the best ways possible.
Choice of priorities
All of these are elements the global world itself appreciated as key to having a safer world for all. And each of these elements features prominently in the 17 goals of the SDGs. I decided that we should put a lot of attention to those elements because they are important. First of all, the eradication of poverty; I agreed that if you remove poverty, in societies, among individuals, definitely one-half of the problems of the world would be solved. This is when people are not poor and they are able to educate their children, able to eat, look after their health and cultural needs.
Now, education is the second most important element because there is nothing that happens outside the purview of education and I think this is something that is absolutely critical for me. To your question, because I am a teacher, I cannot say no. But even those who are not teachers can see why education is important. Without education, nothing really can happen.
And in terms of inclusion, I think inclusion is key. It’s also an issue that is close to the hearts of member-states, women, the girl-child, the disabled, the minority and others. When you exclude people, you cannot provide equal service. These are issues that connect. This is why we thought, and not just me, all member-states agreed to the policies we rolled out. I am glad that till this day, even during the lockdown, these are issues that will continue to feature in our discussions and till the end of my presidency.
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